ISLAMABAD: Iraqi air force commander Major General Shihab Jahid Ali Shakarchi on Monday visited Pakistan’s Air Headquarters on a trip aimed at highlighting ‘brotherly’ ties between the two Muslim nations.
Shakarchi was received in Islamabad by Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, chief of air staff for Pakistan Air Force, and presented the guard of honour by an air force contingent. The visiting dignitary also paid homage to PAF martyrs and laid a floral wreath at a martyr's monument.
“Both Commanders discussed various matters pertaining to security and mutual cooperation,” PAF said in a statement. “Commander Iraqi Air Force lauded the professionalism of PAF personnel and the exceptional progress made by PAF over the years, through indigenization.”
The statement added: “The Air Chief highlighted the brotherly relations and collaboration between the two sides. Both the dignitaries agreed to further augment the already existing cordial relations between the two air forces.”
The Iraqi general also called on General Nadeem Raza, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee of the Pakistani army in Rawalpindi.
“Matters of bilateral professional interest and further strengthening of security and defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the meeting,” the statement concluded.
Iraqi air force commander visits Pakistan Air Headquarters to highlight 'brotherly' ties
https://arab.news/w28aj
Iraqi air force commander visits Pakistan Air Headquarters to highlight 'brotherly' ties
- Shakarchi lauds professionalism of Pakistan air force and its ‘exceptional progress’ in recent years
- Meets Pakistani air chief, both agree to "augment already existing cordial relations between two air forces"
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
